Filing device



July l2, 1927. 1,635,859

r E. L.. OUCHIE FILING DEVICE Filed June l5. 1925 ll llllllllllllllll lllllll lllllllll Illilll'llllllllllllm Patented July 12, 1927.

UNITED STATESd ELMER L. OUCHIE, OF NORTH TONAVAISI'DA,v NEW YORK, ,ASSIGNOR T0 RAND'KARDEX PATENT QFFICE BUREAU', INC., 0F TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F `rune DEVICE.

Application inea June 15, 192,5. serial No. 37,132.

My invention relates ingeneral to drawers for [iling devices and in particular to bottom stops for card index systems of the overlapping card type in which the tongues carried by the cards or card pockets are nested or interlocked when assembled.

The principal object of my invention has been to provide a bottomstop which shall be held imposition by resilient means and which shall firmly but flexibly hold the card pockets in their nested positions.

Another object has been to provide la bottom stop which shall not require to be locked in position but which may be o erated by grasping and pulling downwarc ly on any particular card pocket where it is desired to insert or release a card pocket.`

Furthermore, my bottom stop, when once pulled back to its inoperative position will be held in such position until released.

Moreover, my device is lsimple and inexpensive to manufacture, and is durable in operation. y

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, yin which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a drawer or tray of a filing cabinet showing my invention.

Fig.. 2 is a side sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the device in itsy normal operative position. v

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the device held back in its inoperative position.

In the drawings, the drawer is represented at 5, and is of the type having guide channels 6 arranged at each side for the reception of the ends of the tongues 7 of the card pockets 8.

My invention is adapted to that type of filing system in which Ithe card pocket 8 is fastened near the upper edge to the tongue 7, leaving the space near the lower edge of the tongue for the overlapping of the tonguev of the lower card pocket, whereby the pockets are held with their tongues in nested relationship. In this type of filing system, it is essential that the pockets be tucked together rather firmly in order that they may be held interengagingly. In order to accomplish this, I provide a bottom stop 9. -This stop is provided at its inner edge with an upturned portion 10 which is designed to engage the space between Ithe tongue 7 and the pocket 8 of the lowermost pocket and to be engaged with that portion of the upper l surface rof the tongue whichisV notv attached to VKthe pocket. l'This stop is' preferably formed of sheet metal and at its out-ei" end i is lbent u onfitse'glfY and provided with a downward y extending flange 1-1" locatedv some distance inwardly from'the outer edge helical spring 12 has its ends en-v gageablle with the flange 11 and midway of' its length it 1s held bya hook 13, whereby the stop l9 will always be res'iliently heldin its normal inward position. 'The hook 13'is preferably a part of a stop71`4, arranged near the ,front of the drawer withwhiohffthe flange 11 of `the bottomstop is! engageable when drawn toits outward position' as shown Y in Fig. 3. Under normal Conidi-tions the outer edge 20 vof' the bottom stop4 V9 will lie 1 inside of and slightly below the upper edge 16 of the front 15 of the drawer. When,

however, the bottom stop is drawn outward` ly, it is necessary that the outer edge v-be raised above the level of the flange 16, and to accomplish this, I provide lan inclined surface 17 which terminates inthe upstanding stop lug 14 and which will engage the lower edge of the flange y11 lto raise the stop as stated. Ilfldesired, the bottom stop may he" provided with an lopeningl `for engagement with the finger when the stop'Qis moved to its outward position.

Fromtheforegoing, it will be clear that the spring 12 will keep the bottom stop 9 vpushed firmly againstthetonguel 7 ofthe ower card pocket 8 in `the drawer andwill likewise keep each of' the tongues of the series of cards in the drawer in firm contact and engagement with each other. Owing to the flexibility of the spring 12, the number of cards used in the drawer may, within reasonable limits, be increased or decreased as desired.

When it is desired to remove a pocket, or to place another one in the drawer, it is only necessary that the pocket which is to be removed or the one immediately below it be grasped or pulled toward the outer end of the drawer. This will push the bottom stop outwardly and the flange 11 thereor' will move up the inclined surface 17 until it has reached the outer end of this surface, when it will drop infront of the stop 14 and be held in this position until released. In this manner any number of pockets may be removed from or added to the tray up to the limit of its capacity. Vhen it is den sired to again lock the pockets, it is only necessary that the forward edge 20 of the bottom stop 9 be slightly lifted se :aste release the flange 11 from engagement with the stop lug 14, whereby the spring l2 will draw the bottom card into position on top of the tongue 7 of the lower card pocket and against the joint between the pocket and the tongue. The inner edge of the bottom stop is uptui'ned slightly so that it will conveniently pass over the tongue of the end card pocket.

Obviously some modifications of the de tails herein shown and described may be made withoutdeparting trom the spirit o'lf my invention or the scope of the appended claims, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described, the form4 shown being Y merely a. preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i n

l. In a filing device, a drawer adapted to receive a series of cards in nested position, a bottom stop adapted to yieldingly press against the end card of said series, and catch means adaptedto maintain said bot- Vtom stop out of engagement with said cards o as to permit the removal of a card.

2. In a filing device, a drawer adapted to receive a-series ol cards in nested position, a bottom stop, a helical spring connected between said bottom stop and drawer and adapted to yieldingly press said bottom stop against a card to prevent removal of said cards.

3. In a filing device, a drawer adapted to receive a series of cards in nested position. a bottom stop, a sprincr adapted tov cause said bottom stop to yieldingly press against a card to prevent removal of said cards, and a catch adapted to hold said bottom stop out of engagement with said .card against the action or" said spring so as to permit removal of said cards.

et. In a filing device, a drawer adapted to receive a series ot cards in nested position, a bottom stop adapted to ,yieldingly press against a card to prevent removal et said cards, said bottom stop being adapted to be moved to card-removing position by inaniial actuation of'a card intermediate the ends ot' the series of cards.

5. Afiling device, the combination of a drawer with a bottom stop formed with a downwardly extending flange located some distance from the outer edge of the stop, a spring having its ends attached to the'flange, and a hook carried by the drawer 'for engagement with the middle portion of the spring.

6. A filing device, the combination of a drawer for the reception ot cards and hav ing a bottom stop formed with a downwardly extending flange, a stop lng secured to the dra-wer and -engageable with the flangey the stop lug being formed with an inclined surtace terminating at the outer face thereof and engageable withV the flange, and flexible means secured to the drawer f'or holdn ingl the bottom stop in its card-engaging position.

7. A filing device, the con'ibination ot a drawer with a bottom stop formed with a downwardly extending ange located some distance'from the outer edge of the stop, :i stop lug secured to the drawer and engageable with the. flange, and the stop lug being formed with an inclined surface terniinat ing at the outer face thereof and enga-geable with the flange, a spring having its ends attached to the Harige. and a hook carried bythe drawer for engagement with the iniddle portion of the flange.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

' ELMER L. OUCHIE. 

